Friday, January 22, 2010

My amazing husband

The group from Colorado!
Don doing his'grunt' work! : )

He will tell you that 'he is just the grunt guy' but we all know that he is invaluable! He is hard working and no job he will not do - well he was not real excited about helping a patient go pee ; both of the patients hands were wrapped and really only one could be used.. ya, but Don was helpful anyway, it needed to be done. He has the kindest tone to everyone (well not me sometimes) : )) He is caring a lot of responsibility. I think Don is at his best here in Haiti.

our own tent city




Jan 22 10 days later!







The injured are still coming!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Buxman Bed and NO Breakfast!

I have lost count of how many people are staying in out home. It has become a refuge for many in country to check on their organizations only to find they did not have a safe place to stay. We also have seven Doctors wit us - oh I think a couple of that seven are RN's but they are here helping the wonderful Haitian people we love and we are very grateful.

Last night we had our own 'tent city'. After the second earthquake or after shock what ever you want to call it; not too many wanted to sleep inside. My husband would have but he loves me and was willing to follow me to the great out doors. Dr. Dave came prepared with his mosquito net tent - snazzy set up he has. The other young Dr.'s grabbed our boys mosquito nets off their beds and strung them between the trucks parked in our drive.


This morning my wonderful husband started making coffee for the whole group - he looked at me as said "aren't you going to make breakfast?" How long has this man be married to me??? (almost 30 years) does he not know I do not do breakfast! There is the cereal, the milk, you cannot use the toaster even if we had bread, we have no electricity, there is the oatmeal - Enjoy!
Thanks Don for the coffee! I love having our house full of people but I do not do mornings : ))
Simome Pele





Don has been so busy transporting people back and forth from Simone Pele to the clinic and then back again. When he is at the clinic he is moving people and helping in every way. I am married to the most wonderful guy - able to help in any situation and always stable. I do not see him much since I have been helping with the children and getting them ready to leave, I do miss him and will miss him more when I leave. I hope he will come to Colorado in a few weeks for a brake from all of this and for us to talk/ think/ pray about what is next for us.






The nannies are sad to see the children go - happy that they get to go to their 'forever homes' but sad that they will not see them again. I wonder what is going to be like traveling on a military jet with all these children (and a eleven year old, Danya- who has attached her self to me : )). It will be very exciting! We have long pants for everyone and shoes and socks, those planes are very chilly so we want the children to be comfortable. It would be wonderful to travel at night, I think they would sleep and be less bothered by the trip.






clinic


A new day!

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in sea storm and earthquake,Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

another one

PTSD!

Oh friends. I am so weary. So afraid this second Earth Quake did more damage and caused more deaths. I am sure the clinic is be very busy today. I am trying to gather my self emotionally. Letting those that were not here for the first quake handle things - right now I am no good to anyone.

I was in our room AGAIN.

So the military hospital ship is ONLY taking care of Americans - so why are they here??? Sorry but that ticks me off - that is wrong. From what we are seeing everyday Haitians need medical care big time. Oh the blessings of having an American passport! DO NOT TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED!

200,000 dead already. Many more will die because of infection. So grateful for the Doctors and nurses that have come in to help, they are emotional stronger and so gifted.

Have a house full of people from all over, it is nice to have people here.

This morning during the Earth Quake I jumped out of bed and ran screaming "get out get out" like everyone did not know to do that! "well thank you Lisa for telling us we should get out!" Lol

Monday, January 18, 2010

clinic

Today is our daughters 26th Birthday - I forgot. We wake up with our minds on what we can do to help right here right now, any other thoughts just do not penetrate our minds.

Surgery in an area like a carport.
Seven month pregnant women with a broken pelvis
Children. Old people. Some will not live.
Keeping them over night, some several night.
Just got told two women in labor.
Tomorrow more patients.
I will help escort a group of orphans out to the US on a military flight - this is exciting! Pray all goes through.
numb.
Home is filling up with foreigners , very special community developing.
Love having people in our home.
exhausted.
Don is tired of being Superman - but he still is!
I so appreciate you reading this, please understand we are tired and feeling overwhelmed but we want you involved in what is going on here. Some posts may be better then others.
Don said he will add some pictures. We drove through the worse area's and have lots of pictures, really I just do not want to look at them.
love you all

Saturday, January 16, 2010

what is running in my head

I think it is odd when we look at injured people and causally say to each other "he is going to die."
I never thought of ice as a luxury. I do now.
Dr.'s working without drinking water - that is wrong.
I love it when people from different organizations and denominations work lovingly together.
Sight of all the tents and people living outside - becoming a new community - resilient.
I cannot believe I am here in this.
I love that I have an Internet phone and I can call my sister and cry and she will pray for me - love you sister!
Children walking barefooted on all the broken cinder blocks
Children smiling, holding my hand as we walk through the slum they call home.
I love my children.
I am married to superman!

Embassy and Simone Pele slum

Don had to paid $11.00 for one gallon of gas!

Diane Sawyer in our yard, how strange



So grateful for your prayers - Please do not stop. The event in Haiti as far as a news story is concerned is wearing off, but the pain and reality for everyone is just setting in. Shock can carry you a long way - you feel numb and just function. I keep waking every morning hoping it was just a bad dream. I have a home, water, food.

Friday, January 15, 2010

ABC News and Diane Sawyer/ We need DR's


Every day here brings new hopes and despairs.

The children have been returned to the Girls home. It is now ready for them and they are familiar with it. Our home is to quiet.


Slept out side again. Again Larry thought that I was his bed (our huge dog) again I laughed.


Watched large planes cross in the sky - I sobbed knowing that one of those planes had my dear children on it, oh I miss them, but they need to be in the States.


This morning all of us that work with Heartline had a meeting about what is next and how we were going to help.


We will be converting the birth center to a medical/surgical clinic. We will help staff and facilitate taking care of what will soon be one week old injuries. Nasty serious stuff.


We need surgeons, Orthopedic Dr's Anaesthesiologist, RN's You can get in on free flights, we need you soon!

Let me know if you can help


Today Diane Sawyer and her crew were here - I say that as "we lived through a Earth Quake" Every thing is strange so why not have ABC in your yard??

I hope the coverage is good and brings more help to Haiti. I do not know when it will be aired but they are all leaving Haiti today.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Now it feels like a bad dream

Hearing the sound of jet plans over our our house, brings mixed emotions; They sound too close to the roar of the Earth Quake so I have the need to run outside; I wonder if my children are on one of them as they are being evacuated with the American Embassy - that brings tears. I am still not able to think in complete sentences yet, so I need to ramble if any news is to be posted here. I cannot keep the days straight, we all keep asking what today is. I realized that yesterday was our oldest son's 28th birthday Happy Birthday Justin! Love you so! We were so busy just taking care of the children and others I did not have time to think - still do not.
I have not had a shower since Monday morning...ewwwww! Maybe tomorrow. We have to run the generator to pump water ( no electricity since Tuesday night) We are using the generator sparingly so to save the fuel, not sure how we will get more.
Crazy long lines - well lines are relatively speaking. Sort of chaos type of lines at the gas stations. Took us three hours to go the four miles and back to the American Embassy, all because of the panic of people to get fuel.
Still sleeping out side... funny story-- This morning at around 2:00 (oh more planes : )) relief??) anyway , this morning we had one really bad after shock, I flew out of "bed" as did many of the others i.e. nannies other adults and older children, small children and babies sleep right through it, okay anyway several of us are up and I tell my son Shane to move his blanket farther away from the house (never know if just one more ofter shock will send it down) At this point my husband gets up, grabs the metal pipe that he has by him 'for protection' and says as he is ready to fight "what what did you hear?" : )) "oh honey, are you going to beat the Earth Quake to death'? We all had a good laugh.
Laughing last night was therapy - and yes we are all going to need some of that. We have two dogs. Larry a beautiful English Mastiff, and Nora and half Mastiff and half lab. They are both so very happy that we have now decided to join them outside to sleep. So much so that they want to sleep with us, right next to us, on us and lick us and sniff us all night long : )) We love Larry so much he is very sweet dog, but so large and he has no idea of 'personal space' he really is Haitian.
We needed to laugh and we did until we hurt.. Thanks Larry and Nora!









We started out first thing this morning, Don I and Jaeda looking for our dear friend Pastor Firom and his family. They do not live far from us and with cell coverage out we had no idea if they were okay.




We found their home but could tell know one could live there. We asked around and a women took us to them. He and his wife and four children with others were 'living' under a small tree, spending the nights in the bed of their tap tap (pickup) So happy to see us, they ran and gave us big hugs. This is common, we found even strangers ask how are, how our children are- a real since of community, we have survived, we have something in common. We helped them our with some money to buy some food and water. He will have to completely rebuild his home - how will he do that? He has no job that pays, his Church is not able to pay him. Pray for Firom and his family.
Several of the nannies and others that work with Heartline have lost their homes. Several we have not heard back from since the first night, maybe they returned home to so much disaster and pain. maybe they feel they have no where to go. We will look for them and see how we can help.
Next we will start handing out food and water, and accessing what is next. But now it is time to settle down for the night, under the stars and the sky now filled with planes. I love you Jaeda, Shane, Trent and Joey. I hope you are on one of those planes - off to safety. Maybe now I have time for a good cry.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Earth Moved

Do not have the time or emotions to write much but here are some thought.

Don and I had been in 'town' had intended to drive down in the area that was hit the hardest. I said hey lets take this road - we were having fun being lost. Saved us from being there at the wrong time.
We were going to go out to dinner (our daughter Jaeda is here) We got home about 10 min. before it hit. We did not have time to leave again and be away from home stuck.

Never felt anything like it. The whole house moved. Everything on the floors, broken. We got out side, even thought I had been changing my clothes and had nothing on...grabbed a dress as I ran out - screaming Yes I am a screamer.

The whole city seemed to be in a cry. Dust everywhere.
Then the ofter shocks.
Everyone out of their homes, many singing - praying, many hurt.

Don and I walked to the clinic, but only got to the boys home where every wall was down. all the children were safe.

girls home about the same -everyone safe.

brought everyone to our home - we still had walls, safer.

fed the children crackers and peanut butter, water and layed sheets out on the concrete for beds.
more after shocks.

Trent had a rat stalking him, so he thought, rats are no big deal now.

Of course no electricity.
No running water.

Don is off to see what rebuilding will be like, materials are going to go fast.

Pray for Haiti.